Insights

NAHC Comments on President Trump’s Speech to Congress

Posted on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 10:27 PM

NAHC President Val Halamandaris was hopeful after President Donald J. Trump’s speech to a Joint Session of Congress. Halamandaris feels that the home care and hospice community can work with the Trump administration to develop legislative solutions that will allow Americans to age peacefully in their homes and communities.

“Like many people, I was impressed by the optimistic and uplifting tone of President Trump’s address to the nation last night,” said Halamandaris.

“He chose to focus much of his speech on the health care challenges the nation faces and I am grateful that President Trump did not indicate that he would recommend cuts to the Medicare and Medicaid entitlement programs which provide crucial health care services to millions of elderly and disabled Americans.”

“We urge the Congress and President to work together to support a budget framework that provides the nation with a blueprint for the future that ensures comprehensive access to health care services for all Americans and especially safeguards the delivery of home care and hospice services.”

"I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican, and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid,” Trump told the Daily Signal in 2016 while campaigning for the presidency. The Trump campaign promoted the headline from the article – “Why Donald Trump Won’t Touch Your Entitlements” -- on its website.

In the past, Tom Price, the Secretary for Health and Human Services in the Trump administration, has supported the Medicare reform called “premium support,” where some believed it would put an end to Medicare’s guarantee of government-provided coverage for seniors.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) also supported the “premium support” plan to change Medicare in the past.

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